


"Broom Accidents"

by Valkyrie_exe



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Cutting, Depression, No Beta, Reference to bullying, Self-Harm, Tears, internalized pain, not edited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-13 00:57:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21485722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valkyrie_exe/pseuds/Valkyrie_exe
Summary: Akko always told people all her scars were from various attempts made toward flying a broom, that was half true. The rest came from... elsewhere.
Comments: 23
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

Akko dashed into her dorm at Luna Nova, quickly closing the oaken door behind her, careful to not let it slam. She had managed to guarantee time to herself after classes, claiming she’ll meet her friends in the library to study in around half an hour. Right now though, she needed to be alone. Today had been a bad day. Today, Akko not only received a bad grade on a test, she also was cornered by Hannah and Barbara and ridiculed after not performing a spell correctly, she had failed to fly once again, and to top it all off she had to endure another of Sucy’s poisons. Akko fell against the door and slid down to the floor and put her head in her hands. She wanted to scream.  
  
Akko eventually looked up again at the room around her the one she had shared with Lotte and Sucy for the better part of a month. She looked at the bunk bed on the left side of the room, hers below and Lotte’s up top. Behind that were three tables placed end to end, Akko’s own sitting on the far left, pictures of home and Shiny Chariot on the wall, her textbooks were placed lined up vertically for easy access and tucked between two books near the end was a small first aid kit, in case anyone got hurt. Akko brought it from home where she often made use of it, just in case she "failed trying to ride a broom". The sight of it made Akko’s inhale catch, and as she tried to exhale it came out shaky, almost needy. Her legs began to ache.  
  
In one quick motion, Akko stood from the floor and walked over to the table, gingerly plucking the kit from where it sat. It had been a while since she had needed it. She opened it and took out a small plastic bag from within, inside the bag were three things. A red cloth, mesh gauze, and waterproof two inch medical tape. Akko took everything out of the bag and left the rest of the kit open on her table. Moving to beside her bed, Akko laid the cloth on the floor and placed the other two items on her bed. She then took part of her already short skirt on the right side and tucked it up through her waistband until her upper thigh was exposed, she looked at the scars that marred the area. Some thin normally colored and nearly faded, and others that are plump and an angry red color despite being nearly a year old. Akko knew doing this was risky, with her shortened skirt some of her old scars had been seen in the past. But then again, she just fed them the same line she’d fed her parents a few times, she just failed riding a broom. I mean it wasn’t technically lying, she did have scars from that but none of those were never so clean, so uniform.  
  
As all the preparations were finally made, Akko knelt on the red cloth so if any blood managed to get away it would not only be caught but also hidden. Next, Akko looked nearby for anything that looked sharp enough to break skin. At home she had a special implement, but she hadn’t brought it with her to Luna Nova in hopes she wouldn’t need it. Guess past Akko was wrong. As she scanned the room Akko’s eyes fell upon a small part of the Shiny Rod sticking out from under its hiding place beneath her mattress.  
  
“Fitting,” Akko scoffed.  
  
Akko lifted the mattress slightly and pulled the Shiny Rod from beneath. It seemed to glow in the afternoon light drifting through the dorm window. It’s white surface of unknown material only broken by small divots each housing a small gem. It was beautiful, but none of that is Akko’s focus instead she fixates on the sharp point that the rod ends in. While not a blade, the point was easily enough to break skin. Akko braced the rod against her chest allowing the top to rest on her neck as she held the bottom so it’s poised over her leg. With her other hand, she pulled the skin apart using her thumb and index finger, so it would be easier to cut. Akko took a deep breath and counted to three in her head and at three pressed the point of the Shiny Rod into her thigh and quickly jerked to the side, eyes clenched shut in pain, her teeth clenched from a sharp inhale as she felt her skin tear. Three times she repeated the process; it took under a minute to do. Finally, Akko opened her eyes and looked at her handiwork, her vision was blurry but even through the blur three long cuts were clearly visible, beads of dark crimson blood gathering along them. Akko let the Shiny Rod fall, no longer in need of it as a cutting implement.  
  
Slowly, Akko moved from a kneeling position to sitting on her bed, she grabbed the red cloth and wiped away the blood that had just started to run down her leg. She then reached behind herself and grabbed the gauze and tape. She placed the gauze over the wound so it could collect the blood and wrapped it once with the tape, tight enough around her leg to keep everything in place, but loose enough as to not cut off circulation; no reason to do more harm than necessary. Akko then let her skirt fall over her thighs again, maneuvering it so it covered the cuts in a way she deemed satisfactory. At last, Akko returned everything still clean to the first aid kit and threw the red cloth in the laundry. Once sure she had covered her own tracks, Akko walked to the door again. By the time she got there she noticed the limp in her step. She’d have to get good at hiding it again, as she gets the feeling this won't be the last time she does this at Luna Nova. Putting a warm “Akko” smile back on her face, she walks out of her dorm and toward her friends in the library. On the way a final thought crosses her mind: even if people do notice the limp, she could always just say she messed failed trying to ride a broom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something I wrote when inspiration struck. Mostly just me venting into a Google Docs. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hand slipped
> 
> Still not edited or beta'd, sorry

Akko hobbled into the Luna Nova library, lucky to have not run into any students on the way that wanted to inquire on her rather odd gait. On the left by the large windows that cover most of the wall, Akko spotted her teammates, each studying using the light of the early evening sun. As the door closed behind her with a deep thunderous noise, Lotte looked up from her book and smiled when she made eye contact with Akko. Akko returned the smile as she made her way over to her teammates, trying harder than ever to not let on that anything was wrong. When she got closer, Akko saw that there was already a small pile of study materials awaiting her, likely hand picked by Lotte based on Akko’s shortcomings.  
  
As she took a seat at the table, Akko heard Lotte say something but didn’t quite comprehend what was said. Instead, Akko looked over to Sucy to see which subject Sucy was working on only to see her separating ingredients. While the argument Sucy was working on homework for Lukic’s class could be made, never before was it required to prepare ingredients. No, Sucy was working on another one of her poisons, no doubt one that would find itself being tested on Akko in the near future. The thought sent a jolt of pain through Akko’s already pained leg. Doing her best to distract from the dread of being Sucy’s lab rat, Akko attempted to study and focus on her materials. But, soon she found herself rereading lines, and not making much progress. To remedy this Akko frequently switched subjects to keep things new, but that too seemed to fail as she found herself retaining next to nothing. And rather than take notes, Akko found her hands occupied with her shortened skirt. Fears of it being too short and people learning her shame filled her head so she constantly pulled it down farther when possible, willing it to cover more of her legs.  
  
The evening seemed to crawl by, Akko wished for the Sun to set faster, only for it to appear to do the opposite. By the time the clock on the wall signified dinnertime Akko had practically melted into a puddle of anxiety. The possibility of someone seeing her scars was all that occupied her mind, who knows what would happen if they did. They’d think she was an even bigger freak than they did already, her teammates would leave her, she’d be left with nothing. Akko couldn’t let them be found. No matter what.  
  
“Akko, are you coming?”  
  
Akko was shaken from her stupor by light taps on her shoulder, she looked up to see Lotte smiling down at her from beside the table.  
  
“Sorry, what was that?” Akko asked.  
  
“I just asked if you were going to come to dinner with us,” Lotte repeated.  
  
“Probably not,” Sucy added from just behind Lotte, “She’s too engrossed in her studying. I mean, she didn’t even notice when we took her books away.”  
  
For a moment, Akko looked back toward to the table to find that sure enough, all the books she was using earlier were gone, leaving the table completely empty.  
  
“Come on Sucy, don’t be mean,” Lotte chided, “Let’s go Akko, before all the good tables are taken.”  
  
“Right.” Akko said.  
  
Akko was about to push her chair back, but before she could thoughts of being found out clouded her head.  
  
“A-actually, y’know what. I’m not feeling well tonight, I might just head back to our room.”  
  
As Akko spoke she felt her face turn red. Lotte knitted her brow, and even Sucy appeared surprised.  
  
“Well, it’s unlike you to skip a meal, but I suppose you do look a bit flushed,” Lotte said, putting her hand out to feel Akko’s forehead.  
  
Before Lotte’s hand could make contact Akko recoiled in the chair with a nervous laugh. Lotte frowned slightly at the reaction, but withdrew her hand before she continued.  
  
“It can’t be helped then, do you need any help getting back to the room though? It is kind of far.”  
  
“I’m okay, really. I might just take a moment here before heading back though. You guys go on to dinner,” Akko replied.  
  
Sucy must have been convinced as she shrugged and turned to leave, Lotte heard the footsteps departing and exchanged a short goodbye before followed, thus leaving Akko alone in the library. For a few minutes Akko waited alone in the library, until she was sure everyone was at dinner. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t as nervous about the halls and the length of her skirt hours earlier, but maybe the weight of her actions hadn’t sunken in by then.  
  
Slowly, Akko left the library and navigated the halls back to the Red Team shared dorm. Inside, she quickly shed her uniform and changed into pajamas, leaving anxiety inducing garment on the floor. It had to go, Akko was appalled at the length of the skirt and the risks it induced. Without second thought Akko retrieved the Shiny Rod for the second time that day and used the sharp end to tear her uniform apart. She couldn’t bear to look at it, she just stabbed and yanked at it until it was in tatters. At first this uniform was everything she strove for, now, it only reminds Akko of her failures. Even, though the uniform was ruined beyond repair Akko didn’t stop, she stood from where she had crouched over the uniform, and let the Shiny Rod fall from her hand. As it clattered to the floor, Akko retrieved her wand instead, all her spells seemed to end in explosion anyway so it probably didn’t matter which one she used. Before taking a ready stance, Akko rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand, clearing out frustrated and wrathful tears that had long since wet Akko's vision, blurring the room around her.  
  
From a ready stance above the ruined uniform, Akko flicked her wand down toward her old uniform and yelled out the first spell that came to mind.  
  
“Murowa!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, a few people asked for it and then inspiration struck. Now we're here. So I guess now I've got like a plot going on... Oops.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, chapter 3 is here! You'll notice that the writing style is changed somewhat from the first two chapters and that's partly for two reasons. First is I'm switching to the style I usually use for my more long form writing rather than what I do for dabbles, I hope this change can make the story much more engaging for readers. The second is I got help with some ideas and editing for this chapter from the wonderful Britt-Sama, she was a lifesaver in drafting and editing. Go show her some love on her own fan fiction "As We Dance in Dark Suspension". Now then, without further delay, please enjoy.

Akko’s wand exploded with power and an iridescent green light that dwarfed even what Akko had experienced first hand with Diana during the Papilliodia incident. The air crackled with electricity that made Akko’s hair stand on end as her wand poured out magic energy onto the scraps of cloth before her. Heat began to fill the room and the acrid smell of burning fabric reached Akko’s nose. Several seconds passed before the light started to fade, and when it finally stopped Akko looked to the floor where her uniform once was.

There was nothing left.

Instead, in its place was a large scorch mark on the floor. The sight quickly replaced the sadness and anger in her heart with dread.

“No no no no,” Akko began to speak aloud, “Come on. Why did this happen?”

Akko paced back and forth in front of the door, her hands on her head; trying to come up with something, anything to get her out of this situation. She thought back on previous lessons to try and think of a solution when a spell came to mind. Akko took up a casting position once again and tried to cast the restoration spell Ursula had been hammering into her mind during their lessons. 

“ Sosomme Tidiare!” Akko shouted the spell out, but her want only managed meager sparks.

Akko tried again.

“Sosomme Tidiare!”

Again, nothing happened.

“Sosomme Tidiare! Sosomme Tidiare! Sosomme Tidiare!” Akko shouted, again and again, each time flicking her wand down only to generate meager effects.

With each attempt, Akko felt her face grow hotter and hotter with frustration at her failures.

“Goddamnit, Sosomme Tidiare!” Akko practically screamed the spell out while she flicked her wand, and when it did nothing she felt her anger explode as she threw the damned object to the ground.

Akko collapsed onto her knees and just stared at the scorch mark in the center of the room. She couldn’t tell if the stinging in her eyes was the threat of tears, or from the smoke the burnt garment was giving off as it continued fuming on the floor.

For several minutes Akko was left alone, simply looking at the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to do anything. She was a failure, she didn’t even belong here. Everyone was right. She didn’t even know how to ride a broom.

Akko stayed like this; wallowing in self-pity until she heard footsteps echo down the hallway along with the sound of Lotte’s voice. Her heart sank in fear as she looked over the sorry state of the room before her, she couldn’t imagine the reaction if Lotte and Sucy saw the burn mark. So, in a last-ditch effort to hide the mess she had made, Akko ran to the wardrobe on the left side of the room and pulled out a medium-sized rug Lotte had brought from home and decided not to put out. Then, Akko laid the rug in the middle of the room so that it covered the ugly charred flooring and anything else that may have been left smoldering.

Akko was shocked to attention at the sound of the door opening just as she finished laying the rug out. She then turned toward the door to see Lotte and Sucy walk through

“Back so soon? Dinner didn’t start that long ago,” Akko said.

“Well, you said you weren’t feeling too good so we-” Lotte began, before being cut off, as her nose wrinkled in disgust, “Akko what’s that smell? Is there something burning in here? What did you do?” She questioned, lifting an accusatory brow.

Akko’s mind went into a flurry as she tried to conceive a possible excuse to explain the situation she had been caught in the middle of. As her mind raced, her legs ached, and she felt her breath get caught inside of her throat.

“I uh…” Akko stammered, as her mind drew a blank. Eventually, she gave up and settled on telling the truth minus several key details, “I tried to cast a spell and it didn’t go very well.”

Akko took a moment to formulate her words as her teammates looked on, each showing a different emotion. Lotte looked shocked but the worry shone through in her eyes, and Sucy looked to be on the edge of laughter.

“It ended up destroying my uniform,” Akko started but trailed off as she continued, finally starting to register the severity of what had happened, “And part of the floor too… that’s why the rug is out.”

“Wh- Akko, if it was just some damage it’s not a big deal, we can fix that. You didn’t have to get the rug out or anything,” Lotte said, “Go ahead and move it so we can see.”

Lotte stepped into the room as Akko walked off the rug and pulled it to the side to reveal the damage. Upon revealing the black mark, Akko’s face went hot with shame, only furthered by the sound of Sucy’s condescending laugh.

“You really did destroy part of the floor huh Akko,” Sucy laughed, “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Don’t be mean Sucy, this isn’t anything difficult to fix,” Lotte said.

“Are you sure? I tried a bunch but nothing happened,” Akko said.

“Sure, after all you’re still learning these spells. So it may just not be working for you, let me try,” Lotte said, as he pulled out her wand.

The wand extended in the air, emitting a few green sparkles as it did. Lotte then waved her wand in a circular motion, reciting the exact same spell Akko had tried earlier.

“Sosomme Tidiare!” Lotte said.

Her wand immediately glowed a mint green color, and veins of magic with the same color began to spread over the scorch mark. Slowly but surely it was enveloped in the green light, as it did the air itself seemed to purify and the smell of smoke disappeared from the room. Akko looked on, her heart sinking as she was further reminded of her failings as a witch. Lotte had done the spell so easily yet Akko couldn’t seem to manage even a single effect of the spell.. Akko looked over to Lotte as the spell started to fade, wondering what it was like to be even  _ somewha _ t respected by their peers. When the glow finally faded from the room, Akko looked down to see the floor no longer held any evidence to what had happened.

Akko turned to Lotte and put on a smile, “Thanks Lotte, I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Don’t thank me yet Akko, it seems your uniform may be too far gone,” Lotte said.

Akko looked back to the floor and noticed that sure enough, her uniform was nowhere to be found. She couldn’t help but let out a somewhat bitter sounding laugh at the sight, she had somehow still managed to achieve her goal despite her failures.

“It’s okay, I mean. I’ll just ask the teachers for a new one and get some detention for it, could I borrow an extra one of yours in the meantime, Lotte?” Akko asked.

“It may be a bit longer than what you’re used to but sure, just remind me tomorrow morning,” Lotte said, walking into the room to her dresser and pulling out nightclothes.

Sucy speaks up as she walks to her bed to do the same, a wicked smile on her face, “Looks like you’re feeling better Akko,” Sucy snickered, “well, better enough to try one of my poisons. How about it?”

Akko froze in place as she heard Sucy mention poisons, the thought of having to live through another one of their stupid effects in such a short time made her want to scream. Luckily Lotte spoke up in her stead.

“Sucy don’t say things like that. Akko, you need to get some rest. Try to sleep while Sucy and I go get ready for bed, maybe you’ll feel better tomorrow,” Lotte said.

“R-right,” Akko stammered, “Thanks, Lotte.”

Akko then climbed into her bed as Sucy and Lotte exited into the hallway. As they walked off Akko heard some light chatter, but was unable to make it out as desperation to end this horrible day made her fall asleep near instantly.

Out in the hall Sucy and Lotte walk to their floor’s showers, Lotte had just started to hum as Sucy already interrupted her.

“Akko is hobbling,” she said.

“What?” Lotted asked.

“I said Akko is hobbling, y’know, like limping. I don’t know why, nor do I care, but it didn’t seem like you’d noticed,” Sucy said, “So I’m telling you.”

“Oh, uh, thank you Sucy. Do you think we should ask about it?” Lotte asked.

“She’s trying to hide it, so probably not,” Sucy said, “But do what you want, I guess. Regardless, I’m staying out of it.”

“Oh, I guess I won’t ask then. Maybe I’ll keep an eye out though, thanks again Sucy,” Lotte said, “And are you sure you don’t care, not even a  _ little _ .”

Sucy just groaned at Lotte’s tease and spent the rest of the walk to the bathrooms in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it. This chapter kicked my ass while writing, but I'm actually pretty happy with how it's this has turned out, I want to follow this writing style for further chapters, and maybe even go back and re-write the previous ones too. Another big thanks to Britt-Sama for her assistance (seriously go read her, it's really good), and another to the LWA discord I'm in for their help as well.  
I also post on Tumblr from time to time as Valkyrie-exe so follow me there if you're interested.  
Thank you for reading! Comments and Kudos appreciated.


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